Celebs to be accountable: Ram Vilas Paswan

Celebrities who endorse brands will be held accountable for misleading claims under the new Consumer Protection Act, consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan said Friday.

“The Act will be moved in the monsoon session of Parliament. It will provide for action against celebrities and others endorsing misleading advertisements,” Mr Paswan said. The minister’s statement comes in the backdrop of traders’ body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) demanding brand ambassadors be brought under the ambit of Consumer Protection Act, as consumers are often “guided” through such endorsement, irrespective of the quality of the product. CAIT, in a communication sent to Mr Paswan, had demanded specific guidelines be formulated, fixing the liability of brand ambassadors.

The Union food minister also said there has been a saving of Rs 10,000 crore through weeding out of bogus ration cards.

“Our ministry detected 1.62 crore bogus ration cards,” he said, attributing this success to the linking of ration cards with Aadhaar numbers. “Some other states, including Bihar, have not completed seeding of ration cards with Aadhaar. In Bihar, the seeding is zero per cent. Maximum bogus ration cards are in Bihar. In UP too, the situation is similar,” Mr Paswan said.

Mr Paswan, who heads the Lok Janshakti Party, lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “zeal and dedication” in ensuring justice for the poor and underprivileged sections of society.